22 February 2013: The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves has released its “India Cookstoves and Fuels Market Assessment,” which finds critical need for: cookstove initiatives particularly in southern India; a broad range of modern, but more expensive cooking options; and for collaboration and partnerships within the sector.

The report indicates that two-thirds of Indian families, or 166 million households, still use solid fuel traditional stoves and will continue to do so over the next decade, leading to 875,000 premature and avoidable deaths annually from indoor air pollution. It also notes that more widespread uptake of clean cookstoves would be a fast and efficient way to reduce significantly reduce India’s carbon emissions.

The reports highlights that conversion to modern fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and kerosene has been much higher in urban areas. Although women are the main users of cookstoves, they often do not make household expenditure decisions. The report identifies a broad range of clean cooking solutions, however these products tend to be more expensive. Limited financing options for modern products is also a significant factor limiting use.

Needs identified include: facilitating partnerships and collaboration within the sector; developing and promoting accepted standards for cookstoves; generating awareness of health, social and environmental impacts of inefficient cookstoves; and supporting low-risk funding to enable new players to enter the market.

The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves is a public-private partnership led by the UN Foundation that seeks to save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women, and protect the environment by creating a thriving global makert for clean and efficient household cooking solutions. [Publication: India Cookstoves and Fuels Market Assessment] [ Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves]